In forest management, prescribed burning may be used to reduce unwanted vegetation and debris.  It may also be used for site preparation in reforestation practices, and to reduce fuel load to minimize potential wildfire damage.

Low-intensity fires have little effect on water quality.  However, fires that burn intensely are likely to consume forest floor litter and expose soil, which can lead to erosion and harm water quality.

Burning Permits are required in southern Illinois during the months of February, March, April, October, and November.  These permits are required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the counties of Alexander, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Pope, Pulaski, and Union, due to the amount of forested acres on private and public lands.  The free, five-day permits can be obtained from U.S. Forest Service offices, IDNR State Parks and other designated fire permit offices.

Always rely on trained and experienced personnel to plan and implement prescribed burns: the BMPs in this chapter are designed to complement professional training.  Contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for more information.

Prescribed Burning

Planning

Develop a prescribed burn plan.  Example plans are available from IDNR or NRCS.  An IEPA Open Burning Permit should be filed as well as any other applicable local permits.

Carefully plan all prescribed burns.  Clearly identify your objectives.  Develop a plan that includes the following measures:

Plan to control erosion after the burn to prevent sediment runoff to streams, lakes, and wetlands (See the After-Fire Maintenance section of this chapter).

Carefully select fireline locations and consider weather, fuel, soil, and topographic conditions in the burn area to minimize impacts on water quality.

Where prescribed burning is recommended, it should be seasonally timed so that rapid revegetation and development of trees and other plants is enhanced.  This provides for rapid uptake of the readily available nutrients released by the fire.

Implementation

Avoid intense burns that remove forest floor litter which may expose soil in streamside management zones and on slopes where eroded soil may drain to surface water.

Avoid burning piles of slash in streamside management zones.

Use natural or existing barriers (e.g., roads, streams, lakes) where possible, or wet lines for firelines where bladed or plowed firelines will erode soil and degrade water quality.

Avoid plowed and bladed firelines in streamside management zones except where necessary to control wildfire.

Where possible, locate bladed firelines on the contour.  Construct water bars as needed to direct surface water off firelines and into undisturbed forest cover.  Recommended specifications for building water bars and their spacing can be found in the Drainage Structures section in Forest Roads.

Avoid applying chemical fire retardants over surface water.  Prevent chemical fire retardants from flowing into surface water.

Wildfire

Note: When fighting wildfires, preventing harm to people and property should be your top priority.  After containing the fire, you need to address land rehabilitation to prevent or minimize nonpoint source pollution of lakes, streams, and wetlands.

Whenever possible, avoid applying chemical fire retardants over surface water.

Prevention

Use caution when smoking in the woods.

All logging equipment should have appropriate spark arresters.

Protective screens should be installed on all logging equipment to prevent trash from reaching hot parts of the engine or exhaust system.  These hot areas should be periodically checked for combustible materials becoming lodged next to them.  Immediately remove any such material.

Equipment should be carried in vehicle or stored in a known central location in case of emergency.  A fully charged fire extinguisher should be easily accessible.  All personnel should be properly trained in the use of fire fighting equipment and in wildfire suppression.

Proper handling of fuel in transport, storage, and refueling operations, is essential.

Remember: Preventing a wildfire is a lot easier than putting a fire out after it has begun.

After-Fire Maintenance for Prescribed Burns and Wildfire

Do not clean chemical-application equipment in surface water, or in locations that drain directly into surface water.

Use erosion control measures for firelines that could erode soil into lakes, streams and wetlands.  Erosion control measures include revegetation (Soil Stabilization section, Forest Roads) and installing water bars (Drainage Structures section, Forest Roads).  Placing sod back into plowed furrows at appropriate intervals can act as water bars.

Maintain soil stabilization practices until the site is fully revegetated and stabilized.

Use mowing or other practices that do not expose soil as alternatives to blading or disking for maintaining firebreaks where erosion may degrade water quality.